Each man wind up his heart To bear a part In that angelic choir and show His glory high as He was low.
Let"s sing towards men good-will and charity, Peace upon earth, glory to G.o.d on high!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
_Jeremy Taylor._
CHRISTMAS IN CUBA.
On the hill-side droops the palm, The air is faint with flowers, In the wondrous, dream-like calm Of tropical morning hours.
Like a mirror lies the bay, And softly on its breast, In the glow of coming day, The vessels sway at rest.
Through the tremulous air I hear The chiming of Christmas bells, As the sun rises burning and clear Over the ocean swells.
And birds with singing sweet Proclaim the glorious morn When angels thronged to greet The Christ-child newly born.
But with strong desire I sigh For a frozen land afar, Under a cold gray sky, Where glistens the northern star; Where a winter of rest and sleep Embraces mountain and plain, And meadows their secret keep To tell it in spring again.
Dearer the pine-clad hills And valleys wrapped in snow, Dearer the ice-bound rills, And roaring winds that blow, Than this tropical calm, and perfume Of jasmine and lily and rose, These flowers that always bloom, This nature without repose.
Alas for the delight Of a distant fireside, Where loving hearts unite To keep this Christmas-tide!
Where the hemlock and the pine Sweet memories recall, As their fragrant boughs entwine Around the panelled wall.
O Christ-child pure and fair, Draw near and dwell with me; Thy love is everywhere, On land and on the sea.
I grasp Thy saving hand, And while to Thee I pray, Alone, in a foreign land, I bless this Christmas-day.
_Helen S. Conant._
FAREWELL TO CHRISTMAS.
Now farewell, good Christmas, Adieu and adieu, I needs now must leave thee, And look for a new; For till thou returnest, I linger in pain, And I care not how quickly Thou comest again.
But ere thou departest, I purpose to see What merry good pastime This day will show me; For a king of the wa.s.sail This night we must choose, Or else the old customs We carelessly lose.
The wa.s.sail well spiced About shall go round, Though it cost my good master Best part of a pound: The maid in the b.u.t.tery Stands ready to fill Her nappy good liquor With heart and good-will.
And to welcome us kindly Our master stands by, And tells me in friendship One tooth is a-dry.
Then let us accept it As lovingly, friends; And so for this Twelfth-day My carol here ends.
_New Christmas Carols, A.D. 1661._
THE NEW YEAR.
Hark, the c.o.c.k crows, and yon bright star Tells us the day himself"s not far; And see where, breaking from the night, He gilds the western hills with light.
With him old Ja.n.u.s doth appear, Peeping into the future year, With such a look, as seems to say, The prospect is not good that way.
Thus do we rise ill sights to see, And "gainst ourselves to prophesy; When the prophetic fear of things A more tormenting mischief brings, More full of soul-tormenting gall, Than direst mischiefs can befall.
But stay! but stay! methinks my sight, Better inform"d by clearer light, Discerns sereneness in that brow, That all contracted seem"d but now.
His reversed face may show distaste, And frown upon the ills are past; But that which this way looks is clear, And smiles upon the new-born year.
He looks, too, from a place so high, The year lies open to his eye; And all the moments open are To the exact discoverer.
Yet more and more he smiles upon The happy revolution.
Why should we then suspect or fear The influences of a year, So smiles upon us the first morn, And speaks us good as soon as born?
Plague on"t! the last was ill enough, This cannot but make better proof; Or, at the worst, as we brush"d through The last, why so we may this too; And then the next in reason should Be superexcellently good: For the worst ills (we daily see) Have no more perpetuity Than the best fortunes that do fall; Which also bring us wherewithal Longer their being to support Than those do of the other sort; And who has one good year in three, And yet repines at destiny, Appears ungrateful in the case, And merits not the good he has.
Then let us welcome the new guest With l.u.s.ty brimmers of the best; Mirth always should good fortune meet, And render e"en disaster sweet; And though the princess turn her back, Let us but line ourselves with sack, We better shall by far hold out Till the next year she face about.
_Charles Cotton._
A HAPPY NEW YEAR.
The old year now away is fled, The new year it is entered, Then let us now our sins down-tread And joyfully all appear.
Let"s merry be this holiday, And let us now both sport and play, Hang sorrow, let"s cast care away: G.o.d send you a happy New Year!
For Christ"s circ.u.mcision this day we keep, Who for our sins did often weep; His hands and feet were wounded deep, And His blessed side with a spear.
His head they crowned then with thorn, And at Him they did laugh and scorn, Who for to save our souls was born: G.o.d send us a happy New Year!
And now with New-Year"s gifts each friend Unto each other they do send; G.o.d grant we may all our lives amend, And that the truth may appear.
Now like the snake cast off your skin Of evil thoughts and wicked sin, And to amend this New Year begin: G.o.d send us a happy New Year!
And now let all the company In friendly manner all agree, For we are here welcome, all may see, Unto this jolly good cheer.
I thank my master and my dame, The which are founders of the same; To eat, to drink now is no shame: G.o.d send us a merry New Year!
Come, lads and la.s.ses every one, Jack, Tom, d.i.c.k, Bessy, Mary, and Joan, Let"s cut the meat up unto the bone, For welcome you need not fear; And here for good liquor we shall not lack, It will whet my brains and strengthen my back; This jolly good cheer it must go to wrack: G.o.d send us a merry New Year!
Come, give"s more liquor when I do call, I"ll drink to each one in this hall; I hope that so loud I must not bawl, But unto me lend an ear; Good fortune to my master send, And to my dame which is our friend, Lord bless us all, and so I end: G.o.d send us a happy New Year!
_New Christmas Carols, A.D. 1642._
NEW-YEAR"S GIFTS.
The young men and maids on New-Year"s day, Their loves they will present With many a gift both fine and gay, Which gives them true content: And though the gift be great or small, Yet this is the custom still, Expressing their loves in ribbons and gloves, It being their kind good-will.